Page 85 of My Office Rival

I sighed. I was thrilled, but something in me still held back. My family? My ego? The part of me that liked making money? I wasn’t ready to examine that, not right now. And then there washim.

“I want more with Jason.” I squeezed my eyes shut so I couldn’t see her face. “He’s promised nothing, and neither have I, but the thought of going from here to Texas…it just sucks.” My chest squeezed at the thought. No more dinners together, no more hanging on the couch, no more telling me to lean in.

I opened my eyes to see Margo smiling at me. “You’re so in love with him.” She was all too pleased with herself. “I knew it. I knew last time you called that something was up,” she crowed.

“I think you’re right,” I whispered. “But he might break my heart. And I’m not going to turn this job down to stay with him. I can’t do that.” My pulse sped up. I had vowed never to give up my ambitions for a man. “Turning this down would go against everything I believe in,” I admitted. Margo’s face twisted in sympathy.

“What happens if you tell him and you ask him to go with you?”

He hated small towns. My stomach dropped.He will never go with me. He would have to love me more than he hated his past. “Um, I don’t think he would, honestly. He wants to stay in the city,” I replied.

“Oh.” Margo’s voice was small, sad. “Feel him out. You lose nothing by giving him the space to come with you. Just…be open to it, okay?”

We hung up, and I dug my nails into my palms. I wanted to see where this led. I wanted more. I was pretty sure he did too, but what if it meant giving up his precious anonymity? What if it meant living a life he knew he would hate? I wasn’t sure Jason would make that leap. The thought of asking him to come with me, begging, and being rejected…I couldn’t do it. I had too much pride.He’s made no promises.He had so many demons, and I wasn’t sure I was enough for him to overcome them.

I smoothedmy hands awkwardly over my leggings as I went into the living room. I would have changed into something nicer, but I’d seen how Jason’s eyes had raked over my body in this outfit. My cropped tank and yoga pants might be the best way to reel him in.

I smelled dinner before I saw him. He was in the kitchen, head down over the stove, stirring something that smelled amazing. I paused in the hallway to take him in, admiring his masculine beauty. My mouth went dry.I think I love you, Jason Elliott.

He turned and smiled, his eyes wrinkling at the corners. My heart thudded and my palms started to sweat.

“Hey there,” he said, before snagging me with one arm and pulling me against him for a kiss. His lips slipped over mine, firm, delicious, tasting me. I gripped his shirt and kissed him back. He made a small noise in his throat, and the spoon he was holding clattered against the pot. Could he feel my whole heart in this kiss? It was there in the way my hand sank into his hair, in the way I rose on my toes to fit my body against his. And I thought his was there too, with every thud of his heart against my breast, each time he dipped his tongue out to taste me.

I sank back down and he let me go slowly, banding my body against his so that I slid down with delicious friction.

“What are you making?” I murmured the question, not wanting to break the spell between us.

“Chicken with morels,” he whispered back.

“Do you need help?” I whisper-shouted at him and he smiled.

He swatted me on the behind. “Get over there and have a glass of wine. You can watch me work.”

I grabbed a glass and settled in to watch him move around the kitchen. He was graceful, confident.I want this every day.

I sipped the crisp white and rolled it over my tongue. I had tastedit on his lips, and I wanted more of that heady flavor. “The wine is good.”

“One of my favorites,” he murmured absently, focused on his sauce. “The store near me delivers.”

He must have planned this on the plane.He wants you.He was taking care of me in his quiet, steadfast way.Maybe he would go with me.

“I got a job offer today.”

His head jerked up at my words. “No way. Doing public interest?”

“Yep. At the same place that turned me down right before the deal started. They have a second role. I’d be helping asylum seekers and people at risk of deportation. My dream job.” I grinned. “They want me to start ASAP.”

“That’s amazing. It’s exactly what you wanted.” He flipped the stove off and strode over to me. “Are you going to take it?” He looked so thrilled for me, and my heart squeezed.

“That’s the thing.” A sigh loosed from my lips. “I’m not sure. Am I ready to make this leap? So much of my identity is tied to being a firm lawyer, a provider for my family. I’m not sure who I am without that.”

His eyes softened, the deep blue of them drawing me in. “A happier person, maybe, or more fulfilled. The firm will always be waiting for you. You should take this chance. After all, you said it was your dream job. Take it and live the life you know you want.”

My heart thumped in my chest at his words. He was right. He saw me so clearly, maybe even more clearly than I saw myself. The firm wasn’t my passion, not like it was Margo’s. I’d always wanted something different.

His hand came up to cradle my jaw, and I closed my eyes at the contact. His palm was warm and slightly rough. He feathered his thumb once, twice, and my heart sped up. The look he was giving me, the way his lips tilted when I was near, like he couldn’t help but smile, it made my palms sweat. It was now or never.

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